MKT00720 Marketing

Session 3 2014
Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis
Core Information:
Due:

Due by midnight AEST, Friday 5th December 2014

Weighting:

30%

Individual/Group:

Individual Assignment

Word limit:

No more than 1500 words (plus or minus 10%). Assignments that exceed
2000 words will be referred back to the author for revision and penalties
for late submission will be applied until the assignment has been
resubmitted within the specified word limit.

Aim: The primary aim of this assignment is to explore your capacity to analyse the marketing
strategies and marketing processes of real organisations and determine their effectiveness. It also
aims to determine your ability to analyse such practical matters using early concepts (such as
marketing intelligence, market segmentation and target marketing to name a few examples)
covered in the formative weeks of the unit.

Core Task:
Basing your arguments on the academic literature that you have studied in the first six topics of this
unit, write a report on the ways two different organisations have been able to compete in their
markets. Your report should discuss the following points about each of the two organisations:
1. Evidence that the organisation has a gain a competitive advantage from their marketing
processes.
2. Theoretical analysis of the reasons for the achievement of this advantage.

Your discussion is to be based on two suitable published case studies. This means case studies
published in the academic literature for example, the series of case studies in a textbook, or
published in journals etc. Case studies and short articles in newspapers, magazines, website opinion
pages and the like are definitely not acceptable, although such materials may be used to supplement
the published case study and your analysis. All sources must be properly referenced. If in any doubt
about the suitability of a case study, seek an early ruling from your tutor.

This is a substantial piece of scholarly work and will require extensive engagement with both unit
theory and at least two detailed case studies.
Process:
1. Choose your two cases. They all need to be published cases in academic sources (e.g.
textbooks, journal articles). It is obviously important that each case represents an instance of
a company achieving a clear success in terms of their marketing function.
2. Analyse and locate evidence. Begin to analyse each case in terms of the two questions
particularly question one listed previous. It is vital that you respond to both questions, but
the evidence successful marketing practice is more likely to be in the case material itself. It is
in this part of the process that you might bring in supplemental material from company
documents/websites, media analysis and so on. Be sure to reference all sources properly.
You need to try and show clear and where possible objective evidence of sustained
competitive advantage.
3. Analyse and explain. You need to move from the presentation of evidence to explaining how
the company/organisation was able to achieve its success through its strategies. This part of
the assignment requires you to consider any aspect of the marketing strategy process
and/or any aspect of the organisations marketing-based strategising that you think has
enabled them to sustain their competitive advantage. You will need to show that you
understand relevant theories and concepts from the course and that you can apply them to
an analysis and assessment of different companies marketing actions and performance.
Consider using relevant models and theoretical perspectives to make your analysis. For
example, you might find that one successful organisation has executed its marketing
strategy by applying Ansoffs Matrix in a disciplined manner, whereas another successful
organisation has executed a successful marketing strategy by consistently exploiting some
interesting form of customer segmentation. You may find an opportunity to critique various
concepts and theoretical positions through seeing how they apply or dont apply to your
case organisations. Evidence that you understand and can use tools discussed in the early
topics of the unit will add value.
4. Write up. On completing your analysis, you obviously need to write it up. You should
respond to this task in report format, with headings and subheadings used to help readers
understand the structure of your paper. A possible structure might be:
a. An introduction which both sets up the task and the rest of the paper, and
introduces the core concepts that the task is designed to deal with. You might also
take this chance to scope the work for example the time frame that will be used to
assess the marketing success for the case organisations.
b. Description of the two cases. Describe each case, each organisation and the sources
of your information.

c. Evidence of Marketing-related success (leading through to a competitive advantage

for the firm). Marshal all the evidence that you can that you think reveals that each
organisation has well and truly found success in the marketing realm.
d. Analysis and Explanation. Provide a detailed analysis of how each organisation
achieved its success in marketing terms.
e. Conclusion. Summarise the key points and what can be learnt from the overall
analysis.
5. Submission. Once you have completed the report and are satisfied that you have done your
best, submit it via Turnitin on Blackboard. Submission needs to be made before midnight
(AEST) Friday 5th December 2014. Please be reminded of the plagiarism rules which apply.
The marking criteria for the assignment are on the next page. They are published to give you
detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them
carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks. No set of
criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment and so your final mark will reflect the
application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.

MKT00720 Marketing (Session 3, 2014)

Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis Marking Criteria
Ratings and Comments According to Criteria
Introduction.

Mark

Properly describes the task and sets up the report content that follows:
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development

Poor

Introduces the core concepts

Excellent
Very Good

Needs Development

Poor

Outlines the parameters and scope that will be used in the assignment
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development

Poor

Good

Satisfactory

NA

/10

Further Comments as necessary

Case Selection and

Description

Selection of two appropriate cases from appropriate sources

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory

Needs Development

Poor

/15

Each case is properly described to enable the reader to understand them and their context:
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor

Evidence of
Sustained
Competitive
Advantage

Is able to show clear evidence of marketing success/excellence for each case

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development

Poor

The evidence is sufficiently detailed and objective

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory

Poor

Needs Development

/20

Further Comments as necessary

Analysis and
Explanation

Provides a plausible explanation for the sustained marketing success of each case organisation:
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor

/35

Makes appropriate use of theories, models and concepts from the course to explain competitive success:
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor
Shows a good understanding of theory and concepts and an ability to apply them to real case situations
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor
Shows capacity to make use of analytical tools to aid assessment of marketing-related strategy
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor
Further Comments as necessary

Conclusions:

Draws sensible conclusions based on the analysis and discussion:

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development

Poor

Conclusions reveal key learning to be taken from the analysis

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory

Poor

Needs Development

/10

Further Comments as necessary:

Technical and
Professionalism
Aspects of the Report

In-text citations and proper referencing (note: an absence of in-text citations and referencing may lead to
penalties beyond the marks allocated for this criteria point):
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development
Poor
Excellent
Appropriate sources used and referenced:
Excellent
Very Good
Good

Satisfactory

Needs Development

Poor

Presented in well-thought out, consistent, readable form/appropriate length:

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Development

Poor

Style, spelling, grammar and syntax

Excellent
Very Good
Good

Poor

Satisfactory

Needs Development

/10

Further Comments as necessary

Total: The paper is marked out of and then adjusted to conform to the 30% loading for the
course
Summary Comments as Necessary:

School extension policy

Students wanting an extension must make a request at least 24 hours before the assessment item is
due and the request must be received in writing by the unit assessor or designated academic.
Extensions within 24 hours of submission or following the submission deadline will not be granted
(unless supported by a doctors certificate or where there are exceptional circumstances this will
be at unit assessors discretion and will be considered on a case by case basis). Extensions will be for
a maximum of 48 hours (longer extensions supported by a doctors certificate or exceptional
circumstances to be considered on a case by case basis).
A penalty of 10% of the total available grade will accrue for each 24-hour period that an assessment
item is submitted late. Therefore an assessment item worth 20 marks will have 2 marks deducted for
every 24-hour period and at the end of 10 days will receive 0 marks.

Please note: work commitments are rarely a sufficient reason to approve special consideration and
being away on holidays is never a reason. There is no penalty for submitting an assignment BEFORE
the due date, so if you are going away just manage your time to get assessment tasks finished before
you go. Youll enjoy your holiday more.
Extensions will NOT be approved because of problems with personal computers or storage devices.
Back up your work every day to a secure location.